Texting and driving is not only dangerous, it is also a crime in Washington. A texter may face several years in prison if their texting while driving leads to the death of another person.

This was exactly what happened in January 2010, when Antonio Cellestine was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to five years in prison after he veered into a bike lane, striking and killing beloved local teacher Gordon Patterson. Phone records confirmed that Cellestine had sent and received numerous text messages immediately before and during the collision. Cellestine's conviction was the first vehicular homicide conviction in the state of Washington under the texting and driving statute.

The most significant harm that comes from the senseless act of texting and driving is the emotional heartache and pain felt by a victim's family members. The texter is also forced to live with the significant emotional and legal consequences.

This sorrow is brought to light in the powerful documentary produced by phone service provider AT&T. The video highlights the petty text messages people sent moments before their lives, and the lives of their victims, were turned upside down.

We invite each of our followers to take a moment to watch this important message and encourage you to share it with your friends and family.

If your life or the life of a loved one has been impacted by a someone who was texting while driving, we invite you to share your experience here to encourage others to drive safely by not sending or reading text messages while driving.